Biodiversity
The number of NSW threatened species now stands at 1043. In addition, 18 additional threatened animals were added in the last three years. Another 116 ecological communities, which are a group or species of naturally occurring animals or plants living in a specific location, are also listed under threatened.
A brush-tailed Bettong is released in the Mallee Cliffs National Park. This park is a safe zone for ferals.Credit:NSW government
The term “threatened” is broad and includes species that have been classified as endangered, vulnerable, or critically endangered. While some species are considered to be threatened in NSW, this does not necessarily mean that they are in the same place in the federal, state, or territory governments.
Modeling shows that only 496 out of 991 terrestrial species considered to be threatened will survive 100 years. The report states that conservation and management efforts alone will not save many species if they do not address key threats like habitat loss and climate change.
Invasive species, which threaten over 70% of native species, are one of the greatest threats to native wildlife. Cats and foxes are the worst offenders. Rats introduced to Lord Howe Island also caused nine of the 14 bird extinctions in the state.
Mr Griffin stated that conservation, land management, and expanding national parks would be his main focuses as minister. This will include working with private landowners and national parks to manage invasive species and increase control programs.
James Griffin, the new Environment Minister, says he wants to expand national parks. Credit:James Brickwood
The national parks estate has grown more than 300,000. hectares since 2018. The government spent $1.9 billion in 2018-2019 on valued and protected heritage and environment, including $632.3million for national parks, public parks lands, and gardens.
Last week, the minister stated that he hoped to remove 10 mammals off the state’s extinct list over the next few years.
Climate
In NSW, temperatures are now 1.1 degrees above the average for the past century. This is due to climate change which has led to higher temperatures and more extreme weather events. The NSW climate projections show that the average temperature could rise another 2.1 degrees by 2070, compared to the 1990-2009 baseline period.
Large parts of the state have been either in drought, under water, or burning for the past three years. The 2019-20 bushfires destroyed 5.5 million hectares, which is four times more than the previous worst fires in a fire season. The fires caused widespread destruction to animals and plants, threatening their long-term survival.
Energy
The report revealed that 81% of electricity generated in NSW between 2019-2020 came from nonrenewable sources like oil, coal, or gas. This is a 7 percentage decline since the 2018 report. As incentives for investment in this sector increase, electricity from renewable sources continues its growth. The report found that electricity from renewable sources accounts for 19%.
The report states that there is no national policy to direct the end to and replacement of coal-fired power stations. States and territories must make the necessary changes to coordinate energy generation, transmission, storage, and investment.
The report points out that renewable energy storage and generation projects could not be launched in the planned timeframes without national coordination. This could delay the integration of clean energy into our grid.
In 2019, NSW had 136.6 million tonnes equivalent of greenhouse gas emissions, which was 26 per cent of Australia’s total emissions. The state’s largest source of greenhouse gases was from stationary energy, which is mainly electricity generation at 38 percent.
Despite overall declines, transportation emissions continue to rise, generating 20 percent of the emissions between 2018 – 2019. The projected decrease in carbon dioxide equivalent emissions is between 78.9 million and 87.6 millions tonnes by 2030.
The report states that land use, land-use changes and the forestry sector are currently carbon sinks. They store more carbon than they emit and reduce state emissions by 3%.
The future
The report states that by 2030, electricity generation emissions are expected to drop by 23 to 31% as renewable energy use increases. As the use of trucks and aircraft continues to rise, transport will be the largest source of emissions.
The report also highlights ongoing challenges in NSW, such as the projected 10.57 million population by 2041. It also mentions the increasing number of threatened species, which is continuing to rise due to the threat of vegetation-clearing, invasive species spreading, and the effects of climate changes. The state remains heavily dependent on nonrenewable energy sources like coal.
Griffin said that despite the challenges, he was optimistic about the future. Griffin also plans to improve oceans, waterways, and sustainability.
He said, “I am always optimistic.” We run the risk that our discussion about the environment becomes perilously close towards being consistently negative, which I believe disempowers people.
The State of Environment report outlines both the good stuff and the challenges. If you can show people that the efforts and energy have paid off, they will be encouraged and invigorated to push on.
Jacqueleine Moore, acting chief executive officer of NSW EPA, stated that bushfires and droughts had caused damage to native animals, water quality, air quality, and topsoil.
She said that the report would provide policy indicators to inform programs to address current and future environmental problems.
Everybody in the community has a part to play in protecting our environment. Ms Moore said that the EPA will continue to fulfill its important role of the NSW environmental regulator.
The Morning Edition newsletter is your guide to the most important and fascinating stories, analysis, and insights of the day. Register here.